


Impeccable Genetics

by CSM



Series: Adventures in Time Travel [3]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Time Travel, season 5 olicity, toddler mia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-01-31 18:41:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,025
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18597181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CSM/pseuds/CSM
Summary: While searching for Adrian Chase a little girl named Mia shows up in the bunker turning Oliver and Felicity’s life upside down. Part 3 of series





	1. Chapter 1

She’s walking out of the back room munching on a muffin and pointedly trying not to think  about Oliver’s empty bed and wondering where he could be at 11pm at night. 

 

She came back to the bunker for a reason and it was definitely not to check on her ex, even if he was on her mind. 

 

He’s always on her mind lately, especially the mind games Adrian Chase has been playing on him. It’s no longer her place to worry, logically she knows that but she also knows there is no way she  _ won’t worry  _ about him.

 

She’s so deep in thought, running her searches for Adrian Chase she doesn’t notice the bright light coming from one of the side room until a little voice startles her.

 

“Whoopsie.” 

 

Felicity frowns immediately turning around to face the sound of the noise, when she hears struggles and then a clatter followed by “oh frack!”

 

Her eyes widen in surprise at the tiny voice, a  _ child’s  _ voice. She checks her monitors briefly, but as she suspected there is no sign that anyone entered. She knows she jokes that anyone seems to waltz into the bunker but she knows her security protocols are at least can stop a  _ kid _ . Which begs the question how  _ did _ a child get in here?

 

She rises to her feet tentatively, she can still here little panic grumbles coming from the corner.

 

“Oh no. Oh no.” The little voice says in distress, and when Felicity finally turns the corner, she doesn’t see a crying child worried about her surroundings but instead there is a little blonde girl sitting comfortably in one of the arm chairs, a broken watch in her hands. “ Gonna be so mads.”

 

The little girl is so focused on her broken watch she doesn’t even hear Felicity approach, seems unbothered by the various weapons surrounding her. There is a large sword sitting on the table next to her and she hasn’t even glanced at it, Felicity makes a mental note to remind Rene to put away the weapons when he trains with them. 

 

“Hello?” Felicity calls put tentatively, wincing at the way her voice booms more loudly than she anticipated.

 

The little girl on seeing her doesn’t scurry away but instead her strangely familiar blue eyes fill with tears as she runs up to Felicity holding out her broken watch, “I brokes it! I didn means too. Honest! I sorry!”

 

“It’s okay. It’s okay...I’ll try and uh fix it.” Felicity says taking the broken watch and frowning when she sees far more buttons than she anticipated and definitely  _ not _ a watch.

 

“Otay,” the little girl says with delight and then spins around makes her back to Felicity’s station much to Felicity’s horror.

 

“Hey! Wait, where are you going?” Felicity asks in alarm, clutching the not-watch in he hand and quickly following the little girl who looks far too comfortable in the bunker, “who  _ are _ you?”

 

But the last part the little girl does not hear her instead she’s climbing onto Felicity’s chair spinning in circles, little legs kicking eagerly, “are we going for big bellies? I won’t tell, Daddy.”

 

“Daddy?” Felicity asks in alarm, her mind whirling, she looks back at the little girl that clearly knows  _ her _ , and stops short when her round face smiles back at her, deep dimples in each cheek.

 

“How did you get here?” Felicity asks suddenly, her voice panicked. She winces at her tone hoping she doesn’t scare the small child, a small child she assumes might be  _ three _ at most, which is terrifying in itself. She does  _ not _ know how to deal with kids.

 

The little girl seems to take her tone with stride, and rolls her eyes, “I tolds you, the thingy I broke the thingy and it tooks me to you.”

 

“To  _ me _ ?” Felicity can’t help but ask in surprise, the little girl stills seems unphased by Felicity’s tone.

 

“Yes, you always tells me always think of you and dis will get me back to you,” the little girls says seriously, tugging on a delicate chain around her neck and Felicity can see the tiniest little arrow with a small  _ M _ engraved in it.

 

Felicity is at a lost for words, this small child doesn’t just know her she  _ knows _ her. She’s just so very confused.

 

“Yes, Cause that’s what you tolds me, Momma. Don’t you remembers?” The little girl asks Felicity with concern.

 

_ Momma _

 

Felicity stumbles back into another chair, suddenly feeling light headed. The little girl springs up immediately and runs up to her, blue eyes filled with concern, “Momma, are you okay?”

 

“I.. _ What?”  _ Felicity stutters, her eyes landing on little blue eyes  _ her _ blue eyes.

 

“Oh! I have something for you.” The little girl says thoughtfully she pulls on her pendant and uses both hands to grip it till she presses the silver arrow with her fingers, to Felicity’s amazement the little pendent beeps and part of it slides down revealing a tiny little micro SD card. “You said to gives you this and it would all make sense. Oh! I’m Mia.”

 

“Hi Mia,” Felicity says slightly breathless still so confused as to why this little girl keeps on insisting that Felicity told her all these things, 

 

Logically time travel comes to her mind immediately, only a few months ago she herself had travelled through time, but that was in a  _ spaceship _ there was no way this little girl came on the waverider. There is no way she is her... _ no _ .

 

Despite all her feelings about this though, Felicity reaches out and delicately pulls the micro SD card from the tiny slot in Mia’s pendent.

 

She looks at it as though it’s going to explode in her hand, but Mia takes her free hand and tugs her towards the monitors, pulling Felicity’s little USB hub station complete with SD card slots towards her. 

 

Well she seems to know her way around Felicity’s computers. Felicity slowly slides the SD Microchip in. To her surprise, Mia clambers onto her lap taking Felicity’s arms wrapping them around her little body.

 

Felicity freezes unsure what to do, but the sound of a video starting grabs her attention more, to her surprise she is greeted with her own face, minus the glasses looking worn, messy blonde hair that Felicity’s knows from experience hasn’t been brushed in a day.

 

“ _ Hello Felicity,”  _ Felicity startles at her own voice, Mia only giggles waving at the screen,returning the greeting in kind. Felicity wishes she had this kid’s resilience to just accept anything that comes her way.

 

“ _ Oh I feel like I’m about to have a _ ‘ _ Luke I am your father” moment. Except I’m introducing me to my daughter..our daughter?” _

 

_ Her video counter comments with a soft laughs, she leans back into her seat and Felicity can’t help but gasp when she sees a baby tucked into her arms clearly nursing. The other Felicity gets distracted by the baby and looks down cooing softly her fingertips gently running along the baby’s cheek  _

 

_ “ _ Oh.” She squeaks out in surprise, had Mia not been in her lap holding onto her she may have reached out for the screen.

 

“That’s me!” Mia says in delight, leaning forward to peer at the screen closely, it’s clear to Felicity she’s seen this video before.

 

“ _Sorry about that, still getting use to my newest accessory,” video Felicity says with delight, she frowns when the baby starts to fuss and she quickly removes her hand from the baby’s cheek, “Oh, Mommy is sorry I won’t disturb your meal...your third_ _for the morning don’t think I didn’t notice missy.”_

 

If Felicity thought she was easily distracted before it’s nothing on this version of herself, a new  _ mother _ and cute newborn literally attached to her.

 

“ _ Sorry, again. Where was I? Oh yes this is Mia, if you’re watching this video then that means she gave it you. She also gave you the means to get her home, you should be able to fix it without much hassle...ouch! Mia don’t bite! You don’t even have teeth, what the hell kid? So much like your father.” _

 

_ “ _ I didn do nuffin!” The Mia on Felicity’s lap insists, Felicity tears her gaze away from the image of herself looking down adoringly at a round faced baby, to equally round cheeks and bottom lip trembling.

 

“Oh no she was talking about the baby not you,” Felicity soothes rubbing Mia’s back tentatively.

 

She looks up at the screen again just as the other Felicity looks up as well, her cheeks are pink her tired eyes bright.

 

“ _ I kinda just want to eat her up.” _

 

“I’m not a snack, Momma.” Mia says in exasperation collapsing against Felicity tiny little elbow poking Felicity in the chest.

 

“ _ Anyway please, if you cannot fix Cisco’s device don’t call him, call Sara. Sara will know what to do and make sure she wipes your memories...actually you decide, I’m only making this video while this one is barely a month old ‘cause I wanted you…me...I could never figure out time travel tenses...to be prepared. Just please get her home safely and…” _

 

_ “Felicity _ ?  _ What are you doing? _ ” A  _ very  _ familiar voice calls out and Felicity looks at the camera in alarm.

 

“ _Whoops gotta go_ , _daddy_ _thinks we’re both sleeping_ _and definitely not making a potential time ripple effect video_.”

 

The screen goes blank, and Felicity leans back her chair her mind on overdrive, naturally when she learned that this little girl...this little girl was  _ hers _ she knew there was a father in the picture. She didn’t need the voice confirmation, she knew in her heart of hearts there was only  _ one _ person it could be. 

 

The cute little dimples, were also a dead give away.

 

Despite all this it’s just all too much, just too much information at once and now she has a pair of matching eyes,  _ her _ eyes staring at her expectantly. 

 

“Big belly?” The little girl whispers mischievously and Felicity can’t help but laugh, which in turn makes Mia giggle. 

 

She has since turned around so her little hands rest on Felicity’s shoulder as she peersup at her expectantly. Her blonde hair is high up on a messy ponytail, she’s wearing the cutest little jeans overalls and purple sweater. 

 

Felicity only ever entertained the thought of kids over a year ago, when her nosy mother came to visit and with the insinuation that Felicity should only marry Oliver because he could cook, was hot and would make amazing babies.

 

Felicity had rolled her eyes at the time, not encouraging her mother in the slightest, but it was the very first time she thought about it, kids with Oliver. But then she found out about William and everything she thought she knew went up into flames. 

 

Now though, she is looking at the very reality sitting in right in her  _ lap _ and she is awestruck. 

 

“ _ Momma,”  _ Mia calls out in exasperation taking Felicity’s face in her tiny hands and squishing her cheeks, “stop starings at me. Less go eats!”

 

Felicity heart melts all over again, she’s never been that girl, the girl who thought about her wedding day much less the girl who thought about what her kids would look like.

 

When she found out about William last year, after the initial anger had passed she thought about Oliver’s son and what it would mean to raise a child with Oliver.

 

But the time the crisis was over she came to the harsh reality raising a child with Oliver was not the problem. It was that Oliver did not trust her.

 

Felicity’s heart aches for a whole other reason at that thought. 

 

Mia seems to have gotten bored with Felicity’s lack of acknowledgment and she slips off Felicity’s lap moving around her work station with familiar ease.

 

When Felicity finally comes to her senses she sees Mia hanging upside down from one of the bars little legs wrapped around the top most bar.

 

“Mia no!” Felicity says in alarm, if that little breaks her neck her mother would have her head... _ Felicity _ would be pissed at herself.

 

Time travel is weird.

 

“Oh look what I can do!” Mia says cheerily not even bothered by Felicity’s panicky tone. 

 

She slips off the bars with ease and to Felicity’s amazement she does a full cartwheel little legs slightly bent before she move into a handstand all for a second before she toppled to the ground.

 

“Of course you can do a handstand.” Felicity mutters to herself, when Mia looks across at Felicity eagerly, Felicity grins and claps, “that’s awesome.”

 

“I can’t wait to show daddy! I tolds him imma do it myself,” Mia says in delight, “where is he?”

 

Oh no. Felicity is so wrapped up in just Mia’s very existence she completely forgot about how  _ Oliver  _ will handle this.

 

Felicity does not have time to come up with an answer because as with most things in Felicity’s life lately, The subject of herconcerns comes stalking into the bunker.

 

“Felicity,” he growls angrily, he’s got one foot on the first step to her station, when he stops short when he spots Mia, “ _ Felicity _ ”

 

Completely  _ different  _ tone now but the warning is evident, she doesn’t even have time to contemplate how she is going to approach this especially since it seems Oliver is in one of his grumpy moods.

 

Mia though is none the wiser and skips across to Oliver tugging on his hand, “looks at what I learned!”

 

Oliver demonour changes, at least he’s smart enough not to yell at the toddler, but the moment he looks at her, Mia grins waving her little fingers at him before she cartwheels again. She stands straight but her smile falters when Oliver doesn’t smile back at her.

 

Mia though seems unfazed and raises her hands, “Daddy catch me!”

 

_ That _ startles Oliver to the point that he almost slips back on the stairs. Mia though does run to him, she goes tumbling forward so that her  _ feet _ go flying first, her hands firmly on the floor.

 

“Oliver!” Felicity calls out in alarm, and Oliver is brought back to reality his hands shooting out to catch Mia’s into legs. 

 

“See? I dids a handstand! All by myself,” Mia’s voice is muffled when her sweater slips over her face, but she continues to chatter on not even bothered, “told you I could do it, Daddy!”

 

“I... _ what?”  _ To Felicity’s surprise though he looks at her in earnest, “I honestly have no clue who she is.”

 

His voice is soft, probably not to alert Mia, who is still chattering on about, cookies and money in the money jar. Neither of which Felicity gets, but it’s Oliver’s expression that gives her pause. He does not want  _ her _ to think that he’s springing yet  _ another  _ child on her, and one that seems to know him far too well.

 

She doesn’t know where to begin with that and frowns when she sees Mia’s little face is red, “okay Mia no more handstands. You’re gonna get sick.”

 

Oliver seems surprise by _ her _ familiarity with the toddler and he pulls raises Mia off the floor by her ankles, at Felicity’s horrified look, he seems to catch himself and quickly fixes his hold on Mia till she’s upright.

 

“Do that again! Shake me by my ankles!” Mia cheers little hand slapping Oliver’s chest lightly. 

 

“No!” Felicity calls out immediately, pointedly ignoring Mia’s pout, “you aren’t a…”

 

“A rag doll, I know Momma,” Mia says in far too much exasperation for a small child. 

 

Oliver’s eyes widen in surprise, and it’s only then does Felicity catch on to what Mia called  _ her _ . She pointedly looks away moving back to her computer, to show Oliver the video she just watched. 

 

“When she has wine time, you holds me up by my ankles again right?” Mia whispers to  Oliver questioningly, except she has no concept of tone and her voice travels loudly enough that Felicity hears.

 

Oliver thought snorts, and seems far too tickled by the toddler, shifting her so she’s more comfortable in his arms. His ability to adapt to things changing around him reminds her too much of the toddler in his arms. The image they make, has Felicity’s heart aching for something she thought was completely out of her reach.

 

“What’s wine time?” Oliver asks Mia curiously, clearly fascinated. 

 

“You know, when she drinks her pretty drink in the bubbles and I cants join her in the bubbles,” Mia seems too put out that Felicity refused to let her join her on the  _ bubbles _ .

 

Oliver is completely  _ tickled _ though, and shakes his head, “well that’s not very nice of her.”

 

“I  _ know _ ,” Mia agrees eagerly shaking her head from side to side, her blonde ponytail hitting Oliver in the face, and the smiles that blossoms on Oliver’s face tugs at her heart a little bit more. “She let  _ you  _ play with her and her bubbles, I wanna play too!”

 

And just like that the mood completely shifts and they are both back to  _ their _ reality, Felicity’s cheeks redden and Oliver looks away uncomfortably.

 

“Pretty drinks aren’t for kids,” Felicity stutters out to Mia who is looking back and forth between the two curiously, and Felicity does not think it’s wise for them to make the toddler think there are anything but who she thinks they are.

 

“Theys for gwon ups,” Mia prattles off in that dry sarcastic tone Felicity is certain will give her nightmares when their daughter is a teenager.

 

_ Their daughter _ .

 

Felicity shakes her head and types something on her keyboard. Gesturing to Oliver to look at the video, instead of looking at the video again, she looks at his face. The way his features softens when he sees her come up on screen, his little gasp when Felicity on screen sits back.

 

“Oh,” he moves closer to the screen his eyes moving from the newborn in her arms to her face, so many emotions crossing his face.

 

He snorts when Felicity grumbles about the baby biting her, but then his ears pink up when she complains about  _ him  _ doing the same thing. 

 

The sound of his own voice off the camera is what seems to really resonate with him, and when the screen goes blank, he looks down and the toddler in his arms full of awe, “ _ Mia.” _

 

“Dats me!” Mia cheers happily at him.

 

She’s just so cheery, no care in the world, and it’s everything Felicity ever could think she would want for her child. When Mia pats Oliver’s face, surprising Oliver to say the least she giggles, “you looks fluffy, Daddy.”

 

“You don’t like it?” Oliver asks her with mock seriousness, bringing a smile to Felicity’s face. 

 

He’s already so good with her, clearly unsure, but it’s obvious by their  _ daughter _ ’s bright eyes she absolutely adores him.

 

_ That _ is what she wants for her kids, she wants her kids to have a father who is there for them, no matter what and it’s clear Oliver will be that one day.

 

Felicity looks away, biting her lip to keep her tears at bay. Lately she has been feeling so lost and confused at the thought of Oliver moving on, angry that they missed their chance. Angry at herself for realizing to late that he was  _ it _ for her. Heartbroken that he just couldn't seem to just trust her, yet standing in front of Mia right now is clear proof that is not the case.

 

“Eh, I wanna see your face, you too pretty,” Mia declares, she then uses both hands to scrunch up Oliver’s beard and the way Oliver freezes his eyes drifting to her, Felicity knows they were thinking the same thing. It’s exactly what  _ Felicity  _ has done countless of times.

 

“I’ll remember to shave then,” Oliver tells her nodding at her in mock seriousness. Felicity is a total goner for this man, she was only fooling herself these past few months.

 

“Nots all doh,” Mia says quickly serious, “Momma likes the fluff a  _ lot _ .”

 

Felicity holds back a groan, biting her lip in embarrassment, Oliver though only grins and leans forward so that his forehead touches Mia, “wanna know a secret?”

 

“Yay!” Mia nods her head eagerly and Felicity winces when it collided with Oliver’s chin. 

 

He takes it with stride and, lowers his voice dramatically, “I know, she told me that  _ all  _ the time,”

 

Mia giggles, resting her head in Oliver’s chest. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath his arms tightening around her. She’s gotten to him, much like she got to Felicity and it’s so very overwhelming.

 

“I gots to go potty,” Mia suddenly exclaims as she pushes at Oliver to let her down.

 

Both Felicity and Oliver look at each other in alarm, and Felicity knows she’s gotta take reign on this one, “do you need help?”

 

“Mommy, I can go all by myself,” Mia insists, “Imma big girl now ‘member?”

 

She then takes off towards the direction of the bathroom,  much to both their surprise, instead of taking the stairs though, she grabs onto one of the bars and slips through landing on the floor with a thud before she takes off.

 

“Oh god she’s going to be parkouring off of tables in no time,” Felicity bemoans, watching as Mia disappears into the hallway leading to the washrooms.

 

“ _ Felicity,”  _  Oliver calls out with urgency, bringing her back to their very  _ real _ present, “I don’t understand, what is going on?”

 

“ _ This _ brought her here, but she broke it  _ thoroughly,”  _ Felicity says with a frown looking at the watch that she now notices as a deep crack down the centre, “I have no clue how old she is, what year she’s from. I know  _ nothing _ about time travel other than I  _ don’t  _ enjoy it. Why was I so calm in that video? Did the kid just suck all my brain cells too? This isn’t an easy fix! Sara can take weeks maybe even  _ months _ to return a distress signal.”

 

“Felicity, breathe,” Oliver says slowly his hands resting on her shoulders, he realizes his misstep almost immediately and he releases his hold from her taking a step back.  

 

“I don’t think I can fix it,” Felicity confesses, “this tech is literally beyond my years. What if I can’t fix it?”

 

“Are you Felicity Smoak?” Oliver asks her expectantly,

 

“Well yea…”

 

“Then you got this,” Oliver says with so much conviction and promise she almost believes it herself. Till she looks down at the broken tech and frowns, this is  _ not _ going to be an easy fix.

 

“Before you do though, we have...we should talk?” He says it so tentatively unsure, she wonders if he’s unsure if they should discuss it or if he just does  _ not _ want to.

 

“About the fact that we  _ will _ one day have that chatty parkour kid? Maybe  _ after  _ we get her home?” Felicity suggests not quite ready to address the elephant in the room, when Oliver nods in agreement and sighs with relief it shouldn’t hurt as much as it does.

 

“Does she know that we’re not...we’re not  _ them _ ?” He asks her with confusion.

 

“I honestly don’t know, I don’t think she does. She’s seen the video before obviously, but she took the travelling with stride, which in itself makes me nervous about what she’s seen. But I think she is just far too young to really tell the difference.”

 

Before Oliver can continue the object of their discussion comes skipping back towards them, her sweater slightly wet but she seems pleased with herself.

 

“Can we get foods now?” She asks them expectantly, she puts her hands on her hips and tilts her head to the side eyes trained on Oliver.

 

“Well damn,” Oliver mutters to himself, shaking his head and biting back a smile, Felicity is unsure of what is so funny.

 

What she does know is in the last fifteen minutes Felicity has seen Oliver smile more than she’s seen him smile in the past  _ year _ .

 

Mia places her finger on her chin and contemplates his question, this time Felicity is the one to break out into a smile. It should be illegal for one kid to be  _ this _ adorable.

 

“Mac ‘n cheese! wit lobster!” Mia declares, her eyes still trained on Oliver, her inability to properly pronounce her words is going to be the death of her, Felicity is certain.

 

She looks across a Oliver and she can see he is not faring any better. Felicity licks her lips at the thought of of Oliver’s famous lobster Mac ‘n Cheese she hasn’t had that in  _ months _ , “fancy taste.”

 

“Wonder where she got  _ that _ from?” Oliver counters back highly amused.

 

They share knowing smiles before they catch themselves and they quickly look away. Felicity catches Mia’s eyes though as she looks away and the toddler is now looking back and forth between both of them slightly put out by  _ something _ .

 

Not good, figures her child would be too observant for her own good. 

 

Deciding to take matters into her own hands and not alert the toddler more, Felicity scoops up Mia in her arms, “Here’s what we’re gonna do. I will go to the store to get all the ingredients for this Mac ‘n cheese, while you and uh….Daddy head home,”

 

Felicity tries her best not to stumble over  _ that _ word, pointedly focusing on the toddler in her hands and not Oliver who she  _ knows _ is staring back at her. They haven’t had a  _ home together  _ in over a year, Oliver has been staying in the  _ bunker _ this past year for crying out loud.

 

“You gotta get a  _ real _ lobster,” Mia insists.

 

Felicity rolls her eyes, that specificity with food is  _ all _ Oliver. 

 

“She’s not wrong,” Oliver chimes in basically proving her point.

 

Felicity deposits Mia into Oliver’s surprise arms, “then  _ you _ go diving for lobsters.”

 

She realizes belatedly her attitude is not conducive to convincing the toddler is okay, and Mia might not exactly get her sarcasm. 

 

“I think she’s mad,” Mia whisper to Oliver, “she’s got Daddy grumpy face on,”

 

This time it’s Felicity who snorts, how does she ever remain upset with this kid around? It’s like Oliver planned the  _ perfect  _ way to ensure she never stays fully mad at him.

 

Okay, that part is her being dramatic, Mia is clearly  _ her _ daughter as much as she is Oliver’s.

 

“Why don’t we order something instead?” Oliver bounces Mia in his arms.

 

Mia looks at him with wide eyes, and Felicity wonders if eating out is a rare occurrence for the toddler, entirely Oliver’s doing Felicity is certain.

 

“Actually it’s after midnight, we will have to settle for big belly burger,” Felicity suddenly remembers and she laughs when Mia tries to wink at her but ends up only blinking hard at Felicity and using her hand to hold up her cheek. At least that’s what Felicity thinks she’s doing, “you were looking for me earlier?”

 

Oliver stops short, clearly forgetting his reason for barging into the bunker, not to mention Felicity herself forgot about the very  _ real _ threat of Chase.

 

“It doesn’t matter,” Oliver replies his eyes trained on Mia his fingers playing with the tips of her ponytail, “it’s not important.”

 

She’s doubtful that is the truth, Oliver may go into things guns blazing, but when it comes to her he usually has reason for being so pissy. 

 

She nods not bothering to push it, “I need to get somethings in the back to work on this device then we can take my car.”

 

Oliver shifts Mia to his other arm and silently nods in agreement, Mia seems content with playing with his tie, tugging it and twirling it around her hand, grinning at him impishly when their eyes meet. 

 

Felicity looks away just as her computers beep, startling her. Oliver is immediately on high alert, and his hold on Mia tightens enough that Mia protests patting him on the forearm.

 

“Nothing yet, the search is still going. I’ll get a notification on my phone if anything changes,” Felicity reassures him, she takes a step towards him and brushes Mia’s hair lightly, “ _ Oliver _ .”

 

“I know. You’ll get her home,” Oliver says confidently, at least one of them thinks this won’t blow up in their faces.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kind words, I never expected this fic to get such a strong response.
> 
> I was kidding myself thinking that this fic will only be two chapters. Heres to hoping four chapters is the right amount

Mia talks the  _ entire  _ ride back to Felicity's apartment, she insists on ordering her food herself, and she keeps Oliver properly entertained as she chews on her French fries. 

However by the time they get to the garage of the apartment her eyes are fluttering closed, a single French fry in her hands.

“Did she fall asleep?” Felicity asks as she shuts the engine off and turns to look in the back seat, her heart melts when she sees Mia sprawled across Oliver’s lap, the seatbelt tugging at her waist, half eaten french fry in her hand. “Oh my,”

“She started to fade, when you turned onto Lincoln,” Oliver says softy, his voice full of so much affection and his gaze fixated on the sleeping toddler, not moving.

“Think you could get her out of there without waking her?” Felicity asks amused when he does not move.

He sends her a look knowing she’s only teasing him, as he unbuckles the seatbelt, pausing to see if Mia wakes up. When she doesn’t he moves to grab her French fry but her little hand tightens around it, Oliver snorts in amusement, “like mother like daughter,”

“Hey! I fell asleep with my burger that  _ one _ time,” Felicity insists, her voice low to not wake up the sleeping toddler as she grabs her bag of tech and their food.

Oliver doesn’t have the heart to tell her the number of times he found her asleep next to her food on her desk in the bunker. Or the times she refused to relinquish her hold on her food.

“If you say so,” Oliver placates, sending her a small smile as he rises out of the car with Mia in his arms. He freezes when Mia, grumbles softly about no more unicorns, but then she presses her face into his chest, her little hand curling around his shirt, snoring softly once again.

“ _ Wow,”  _ Oliver gasps out his chest tightening at the image she makes. 

Her little lower lip curls with each breath she takes, blonde wisps of her hair brush against her nose that wrinkles briefly, she is the splitting image of  _ Felicity _ when she sleeps...she’s the spitting image of her  _ mother _ . 

Oliver still can’t believe his eyes, he has tangible proof in his arms that he and Felicity worked things out enough to have this amazing little girl in his arms. 

It’s  _ amazing. _

“Hey Mr. Mayor, maybe we should move this inside, before the vultures find you and start talking about your illegitimate child,” Felicity calls out a few feet away, despite her words, he can see that Mia’s presence has also rattled her.

He chooses not to comment and instead follows her quietly up the familiar route to their apartment.. _ her _ apartment.

Mia barely makes a sound as he carries her, when they arrive in the apartment he stands at the foot of the stairs unsure where to place her. 

He’s not sure if he wants to ever let her go. 

Felicity seems to just know what he’s thinking and after she toes off her heels and places her bags on the couch she walks up to him squeezing his elbow gently, “come on we can put her upstairs. It would be more comfortable.”

He nods and quietly follows her up the stairs, his eyes moving ever so slightly from her bouncing ponytail to Mia’s sleeping face.

When he jostles Mia a bit on the landing Mia’s little nose wrinkles in displeasure, before she buries her face into his chest, rubbing against him. 

“Let me just clear my bed,” Felicity says sheepishly, pulling him away from his thoughts.

He looks up just in time to see one of Felicity’s tablets along with four books, an empty take out box and numerous clothes littered to her side of the bed and his side has a indent showing where she slept.

Well it’s not  _ his _ side of the bed. He and Felicity haven’t shared a bed in almost a year, but he’s shocked to see that she now sleeps on his side of the bed and only one side.

When they were together she always use to take up almost the entire bed, for a woman so tiny Oliver was always amazed how he almost always ended on the edge of the bed or one time she pushed him out without meaning to.

The memory still makes him smile, he’s so lost down memory lane he does not notice Felicity clear away her bed leaving one lone pillow until she calls out to him.

“Oliver?” Felicity repeats his name looking at him with uncertainty, she’s holding three pillows against her chest her blonde hair and glasses just barely peeking over, “did you hear me? Should we like make some kind of pillow fort around her? You know incase she rolls off the bed or something?”

He places Mia softly in the centre of the bed, gently caressing her cheek before he tucks her hair behind her ear. She doesn’t even shuffle this time, just lays out exactly as he placed her.

“We should take off her shoes right? That can’t be comfortable, and her socks? Or leave the socks cause this room can get chilly at night. Oh I should get more blankets,” Felicity prattles off as she packs all of the pillows around Mia like a genuine pillow fort,  _ including _ her decorative pillows that usually just stay on the nearby sofa.

She’s nervous, and it would have been adorable if Oliver wasn’t equally nervous as well. They have no idea what to do with a toddler. They don’t even know how old Mia is to begin with.

“Felicity, hey. Breathe.”  Oliver calls out soothingly placing a hand on her elbow and stopping her in her tracks, he takes that old green throw blanket of hers from her hands, “I’m sure one blanket is enough, help me get her sneakers off?”

Felicity takes a deep breath, then bites her lip looking at him with slightly uncertainty. He holds his breath waiting for her to say something, ask him to reassure her that they got this under control, but instead she takes a step back from him and walks over to Mia. 

“Her feet are so tiny,” Felicity whispers as she gently pulls off one shoe, Oliver holds his hand out for one while she slips off the other. 

The shoe fits in the palm of his hand. They both do, and Oliver wonders how a person can be so tiny.

“Oh look she has those socks with individual toes,” Felicity gasps in delight, her hand hovers over Mia’s foot but she doesn’t touch her, “That was probably a bitch to put on.”

Oliver only chuckles in response, “little tiny toes too,”

Felicity turns her head at his tone, her eyes shining, “she would have been even smaller as a baby.”

She’s right at one point Mia would have been a baby, round cheeks and chubby legs. When Oliver got back from the island he never thought that he deserved that kind of life. Never even contemplated the possibility, but then Felicity came into his life and all these possibilities, love,  _ William  _ and having a family, putting away the hood one day, all of these things became possibilities, not just a dream. 

He wanted all of these things, he wanted to build a  _ life _ with her. 

“I can’t imagine that,” he says except that’s all he can think about now, round cheeks, clear blue eyes, a tiny version of Felicity.

It’s everything he thought he lost a long time ago.  He had only recently resigned himself into realizing that moving on was out of the question, moving on from  _ Felicity  _ was unfathomable.

He knows that he only tried to move on so that  _ she _ would think that he was okay, that he accepted that their chapter had closed and to never to be revisited again.

But that was never in the card for him, it never could be, and now he’s looking at proof that there is just  _ so much _ more to their story, so much more than he could have ever dreamed. And he wants to know everything, except the answers lie in the head of a toddler, one who does not even have a full vocabulary. One he could never ask.

He shakes his head and focused back on the sleeping little girl, he catches sight of Felicity and he can see she's in deep thought as well. She’s sitting on the edge of the bed, her fingers just barely brushing Mia’s tangle blonde hair. She still has the blanket on her lap and after a few seconds she shakes her head and looks back at him questioningly, “should we take off her overalls? I can’t imagine it would be very comfortable.”

Oliver looks at Mia, the overalls fall right above her knee, and he can see healed scars on both knees, a long jagged scar on her leg. He frowns slightly at the scars but then looks back at Felicity, “do you know how to?”

“Should be easy enough, depends on who she takes after in the sleep department,” Felicity teases as she unbuckles both straps and gently eases them from under Mia. 

“Mama stop. I seeps,” Mia grumbles suddenly patting Felicity’s hand away and rolling onto her stomach.

Felicity almost slides right off the bed in surprise, and Oliver has to bite his lip to hold back his laughter. Felicity glares him gesturing to Mia wildly, “Could you just…”

He only shakes his head and gently raises Mia off the mattress, Felicity looks at him horrified but Mia doesn’t even so much as blinks, he nods at the rest of the overalls and Felicity quickly slips it off of her. Mia is  still sleeping, dead to the world around her. 

Felicity shakes her head and gently grasps the hairband that’s barely holding Mia’s hair together pulling it off the rest of the way. She slips it on her thumb and chuckles lightly, no doubt the contrast to her own which is now on her wrist.

He didn’t notice that she had let her hair down. Now as she has her hair out, looking at Mia’s sleepy face pushed against the pillow, he’s amazed and how striking the resemblance is. 

For the first time in months he has the urge to pull out his camera and snap a shot of this moment. He’d never been one to take photos, until he and Felicity did their little world tour two summers ago and he fell in love with taking pictures.

Or really he fell in love with taking pictures of Felicity.

“We should probably go before we wake her,” Felicity says taking the blanket from him and gently laying it across Mia. Her hand hovers over Mia sleeping form before she gently brushes her fingers along the toddler’s back, her uncertainty evident.

When Felicity hesitates at the foot of the bed, Oliver takes her gently by the elbow and guides her out of the room. 

“Something tells me if she wants us, she will let us know,” Oliver quips gently, earning the barest hint of a smile from Felicity.

He leaves the bedroom door slightly ajar and follows Felicity down the flight of stairs. She’s uncharacteristically quiet, he wants to reach out to her, but is unsure if that’s something he has the right to do.

He then sees Mia’s tiny hair band around Felicity’s thumb and he realizes this is  _ their _ daughter, he has more than just the right to talk to her about this.

“Are you okay?” He asks her softly, making his way towards the kitchen as he moves around with ease, Felicity silently sliding onto one of the bar stools. 

She starts to unpack their dinner while he grabs some plates from the nearby shelf. While she puts their respective meals on each plate he gestures to the perculator and she nods in eager agreement.

It’s nearing 2 am they should  _ not _ be having coffee this late, but he knows neither of them will be sleeping any time soon.

He finds two mugs and turns on the perculator and it’s not until a few minutes later and he’s placing a warm cup of coffee in front of her does he realize what he’s done. 

What  _ they _ were doing, it’s so easy to fall back into habit even after a year of not being together. 

But the truth of the matter is that he does not live here anymore, he should not be helping himself to her things, this is no longer his apartment. Even though his robin hood shape mug that Felicity got for him as a gag gift a few years ago, is still sitting in the same exact spot in the cupboard. The jars of sugar sits snugly next to the other baking things that  _ he _ bought, he has no doubt has not been replaced, but just never been thrown out.

Felicity takes a sip of her of her coffee sighing with delight, and it’s not until she looks at him does she realize what he’s done as well, “it’s fine. You always knew your way around that kitchen better than I ever could.”

It’s  _ not _ fine, it can’t be fine. They broke up for a reason, and he can’t be moving around  _ her _ apartment like he never left, it makes things confusing,  _ complicated _ .

But then they have their daughter from the  _ future _ sleeping in what use to be their bedroom. They can’t get anymore complicated and  _ messy _ than that.

“Are you okay?” He repeats, taking a sip of his own coffee, eyes trained on her.

“Are you?” She counters looking at him over the rim of her mug. 

He knows she only ever deflects when she doesn’t want to talk about things, in any other situation he would have left her to it, but he can’t do that now. He needs to know where her mind is at, because he knows what  _ he’s _ thinking and he does not want to be five steps ahead while she doesn’t even know where they are going.

He needs to know where they are going. If they are going anywhere

“ _ Felicity,”  _  he says her name softly urging her to say  _ something. _

_ “ _ It’s crazy right?” She says suddenly, her eyes focused on the coffee splashing in her mug, rather than looking at him. Her hand finally reaching out to the probably now cold fries on her plate.

Oliver’s heart ceases, is she suddenly not accepting who Mia is? Who Mia is to them?

“I mean, a whole little person...a whole little person that’s part me  _ and _ part you,” Felicity rambles off her, voice full of incredulity, all the while biting into her burger, “we made her, except we didn’t, well not yet...a  _ daughter _ .”

She finally looks up at her, her eyes shining, he knows he well enough to know that she has more to say. She  _ always _ has more to say.

“I mean, I’ve thought about...kids...babies...a few times,” her voices goes soft and shy, and her eyes move to some point behind him, so they don’t quite meet but she’s yet to fully look away from him. 

They never really talked about kids. Which is probably one of the many reasons things didn’t work out, when he found out about William at first he would ever so subtly bring it up, but when she got skittish he didn’t bother to try his luck. It was already eating him up inside that he was keeping William from her.

_ William _ .

Once that secret was out any further discussion about children was completely abolished much like their relationship.

“Last year, when we...when I was in my chair. I thought about it a  _ lot _ actually,” She confesses and this time their eyes meet. 

_ This _ is news to him, he never knew she thought about kids during that time, the doctor brought it up once at her check ups but she dismissed it so quickly Oliver assumed she didn’t want kids and he never brought it up almost too terrified to know her answer.

“I was afraid I couldn’t...then Curtis with the chip...then  _ William,”  _ Felicity pauses to take a sip of her coffee, or more likely gather her thoughts, after she walked away they never discussed William. Or their relationship for that matter. That hot summer night down in the bunker she asked him for time, and he respected that but the topic was never brought up again. “Everything happened all so quickly,  _ kids _ were just never on my mind after that,”

He nods in understanding, he knew the moment he decided to send his son away for his protection, along with Felicity walking away from him, that he was giving up his chance to ever be a father.

“But then Mia shows up, all smiles and dimples and handstands telling me that all those little dreams I kept to myself would one day become a reality,” Felicity voice is full of wonder, her eyes trained on him as a smile blossoms across her face, “it’s crazy, but  _ amazing,  _ but also so very insane.”

She uses so many words that seem to contradict each other in his head, and he’s terrified to ask her to elaborate, terrified of knowing her response.

“Amazing,” he echoes, finally speaking and choosing to voice  _ his _ thoughts on this, but Felicity though gets to her feet and continues on.

He knows she heard him, if the small shy smile she sends him is any indication.

“I mean my first thought was to be skeptical, but then after everything we’ve seen, everything we’ve been through... I literally travelled to the past four months ago, and in our line of work it’s just not that far fetched anymore.”

She’s walking now, hands flying as she speaks, her excitement is evident, her half eaten burger forgotten and it makes a smile blossom on  _ his _ lips as he watches her.  It’s only then that he takes a bite of his own dinner, barely tasting it as he focuses on  _ her _ .

“She seemed to know me,  _ really  _ know me. So all the possibilities were going through my head, which of the legends messed up, or if it was Barry again. He’s  _ still _ dealing with the fallout of Flashpoint. We all are probably and don’t even know it.”

“Felicity,” he calls out gently getting her back on track, she sends him a sheepish grin and stops in front of him, grabbing up her coffee mug again.

“Then she called me  _ Momma _ , and I just  _ knew _ ,” Felicity sighs as she takes a seat on the bar stool, staring at Oliver, “you know?”

“I really don’t,” Oliver says truthfully, she looks at him with concern, “when she called me  _ daddy _ my first thought, my first  _ fear _ was that someone else from my past had come back to turn everything upside down again and I couldn’t believe that this was happening to us  _ again _ .”

“Oliver, the fact that you have a son, never bothered me,” Felicity says, “it’s the fact that you kept it from me,”

“I’m sorry, I never wanted to hurt you like that,” he confesses softly, unsure what else he can say, there are so many things he’s sorry about.

“I know, but I think I needed to hear it as well,”

Felicity says her voice matching his, he feels like he should say more, but Felicity surprises him with her next words, “when Mia told me who she was, or who  _ I  _ was to her, I felt like that was it, there was no other explanation.”

“No doubt?” He asks her skeptically, he’s still trying to wrap his mind around all of this.

Felicity shakes her head stealing a bit of his onion rings, she always does this, she loves onion rings just as much as he does but never orders it intent on taking some of his.

He missed sharing meals with her like this. He missed  _ her _ .

“None, as soon as she called me Momma and I looked at that little round face, I just knew she was ours,” Felicity says with shy smile before she takes another bite of his onion rings, he wants to know how she knew Mia was  _ their _ but she continues again, “and well the video also kind of wiped away any doubt I had. The video was particularly brilliant.”

“Which you are,” Oliver points out and it makes him smile to see that after all these years she still blushes at that praise.

“This is true.” but never modest either.

“Speaking of, do you have any idea about that thing that brought her here?” He asks her hopefully, they both know they are on a ticking clock, and as much as they both would like to spend time with Mia, she’s just not  _ safe _ here.

The fact that he might not be able to protect his daughter  _ terrifies _ him and he has to fight the urge to run up the stairs and check on her despite the fact that he knows the security system in the apartment is almost as good as the bunker. 

“I’ve been going through some possibilities in my head, I was able to pick Gideon’s brains a bit when I was on the waverider, so I know the gist of how s _ he _ works and I’m hoping that tech will give me the last bit of the puzzle,” Felicity says, he can see her mind is already racing. 

Before she moves to grab her stuff, she pulls out her phone and puts it to stand on one side of the table. He cleans up the last of their dinner and puts Mia’s chicken nuggets in the fridge, making a mental note to make  _ real _ chicken nuggets for the toddler. He refuses to let her eat that processed crap if he can help it.

When he turns around, he’s surprised to see a small video feed on Felicity’s phone and upon closer inspection he realizes it’s a video feed of  _ Mia _ sleeping.

“Why do you have a camera in your bedroom?” Oliver asks incredulously, unable to help himself. 

Felicity rolls her eyes,“ I turn it on when I leave for the day or night because lately I’ve been spending all my nights with  _ you _ .”

She sighs in exasperation as she takes a seat on the bar stool, “you know what I mean. Anyway, that’s why I have it, and I just turned it around to face Mia.”

He knows when not to press her, so he leaves it at that and focuses on the phone screen. Meanwhile Felicity is laying out all of her materials across the table and then tying up her hair. 

He loves watching her work though, it’s so rare that he gets to see her in her element because he’s always in the field. When they were together, she would be working on some new Palmer Tech prototype well into the night and he would sometimes make her some hot cocoa and sit with her, just watching her.

“So the time turner?” He prompts unable to help himself, smile tugging on his lips.

Felicity looks up startled at his question with the watching the palm of her hand, “time turner? Really?”

“I think it’s clever,” he replies smartly in a fake British accent, only earning a laugh in return.

“The sexy british accent aside, let’s leave the naming of things to Cisco,” Felicity teases him, “besides he would say that’s plagiarism anyway.”

Oliver only grins and turns his attention back to Mia, who is now sprawled out across the bed, her head at the foot of the bed and her little feet pressed against the headboard. Half of the pillows Felicity placed around her already scattered on the floor. Oliver chuckles lightly to himself.

“What?” Felicity asks in alarm but upon seeing the small screen she giggles, “oh wow, I guess she might have gotten that from me.”

“ _ Might?”  _ Oliver scoffs incredulously.

“Okay so maybe I…” Felicity trails off when a piercing scream comes from upstairs.

Mia’s yells get louder as she calls out for Felicity frantically.  Felicity is up and out of her seat in a flash, Oliver hot on her heels, neither of them sparing the tablet a second glance as they make their way up the stairs two at a time.

“Mommy!” Mia’s cries get more frantic with each step they take.

“Hey, Mia. It’s okay,” Felicity soothes as she runs to the bed Mia already on her feet and jumping in her arms.

“Yous were gones and I didns know where yous were.” Mia hiccups burying her face in Felicity’s shoulders. 

Felicity looks across at Oliver with panic eyes as she rubs Mia’s back, “I got you. We were just down stairs working on something. You’re okay.”

“Bad dream, Momma,” Mia insists, her voice pulling on Oliver’s heart strings, he can see that Felicity is not faring any better.

“You’re safe, Mia.” Felicity soothes, she runs her fingers through Mia’s hair, pressing her lips against the crown of her head. She continues to whisper softly to her, in a calm soothing tone, the same tone she’s used on Oliver dozens of times when he would wake up from his own nightmares.

He perches himself on the foot of the bed watching them, unsure if he should approach Mia or not. The toddler has yet to call out to him  and a small part of him can’t help but feel slightly jealous at the bond she clearly has with Felicity. The self doubt that he may have very well failed another one of his children already creeping into his mind.

After a few minutes Mia has stopped crying and pulls back to look at Felicity, “you snuggles with me till I fall asleep?”

Her request surprises Felicity, he can see the way her eyes widen slightly terrified as she looks at him briefly before looking down at the toddler, “of course.”

That’s all the encouragement Mia needs and already she’s clambering off Felicity and back into bed. She crawls under the blanket and opens her arms wide for Felicity. 

Oliver can see the smile blossoming of Felicity’s face, and this time when she looks back at him, she gives him a small eager smile before she’s crawling into bed next Mia. She’s barely under the covers before Mia scoots over to her lying on Felicity’s chest, her little hand curling around Felicity’s T-shirt. 

“Oh,” Felicity says with surprise, but then she relaxes and curls her hand around Mia pressing a kiss to Mia’s head, blonde curls tickling Felicity’s nose, “oh wow.”

Oliver watches them all for a second, his heart longing to join them, and just as he rises to his feet, Mia calls out to him.

“Daddy! Where you goin?” Mia asks him slightly put out, her little hand stretching out to him, “come snuggles!”

There is no room for argument in her tone, but Oliver immediately looks across at Felicity with uncertain, unsure if that’s a boundary they should even cross.

Felicity though surprised him an gestures to the bed with her free hand, “Yea, Daddy where are you goin?”

Oliver can feel his heart thumping in his chest at her words, he toes off his shoes and silently crawls into the space next to Mia, pointedly avoiding eye contact with Felicity. 

Once he’s under the blankets, Mia grabs him by the hand, yanking him closer to her. She takes his arm and tosses it over her small body  _ and _ Felicity’s stomach. He’s just about to pull away, when he feels a familiar hand slip through his fingers.

He looks across his pillow, to see Felicity staring back at him, her fingers tightening around his. He releases the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. 

The moment is lost when Mia suddenly sits up and turns her focus on Oliver, breaking the connection between Oliver and Felicity. Mia though is none the wiser and places her tiny hand on Oliver’s chest right over his rapidly beating heart.  

She looks down at him seriously, little frown forming on her lips, “Daddy, did you have a bad dream too? ‘Cause your hearts beating really fast.”

Oliver cheeks pink up at her words, and he cast a glance at Felicity to see that her own cheeks are equally red and it’s comforting to know that she is as affected by that innocent touch as he was. The first time in months either of them had initiated any form of physical contact.

“When I has a bad dreams my heart always beats really fast too,” Mia declares deciding to come to her own conclusions when Oliver does not respond. She then takes Oliver’s hand and places on her chest, “see?”

Sure enough her little heart is beating quickly in her chest, before Oliver can voice his concern, Mia rises on her knees and places her both her hands on Oliver’s chest and looks down at him determinedly. Oliver isn’t going to lie, a small part of him is slightly afraid and what she’s about to do.

She surprises him though when she smiles widely and oh so proud of herself, “don’t worry I kiss it makes it better.”

With that said she leans forward and with the such tender care she places a kiss right on Oliver’s heart and then she moves up and places a kiss on his forehead. 

If the first time she called him Daddy didn’t stop his heart before, that small gesture certainly did.

“There! All better!” Mia declares and then she throws her little body into his hugging Oliver tightly, “I love you, Daddy.”

_ “Oh.” _

He barely hears Felicity’s soft gasp behind them, his breath caught in his throat at Mia’s easy declaration. When the toddler pulls back to look at him with a frown he quickly reiterates, realizing immediately that she’s looking for a response from him, “I...I love you too, Mia.”

“To the moon and back!” Mia chirps happily.

Oliver breathes a sigh of relief. Crisis averted.

Mia then turns to Felicity though, looking at her thoughtfully, “Mama, your turns.”

“My turn?” Felicity stutters clearly unsure what the toddler means.

Mia only rolls her eyes and tugs on Felicity’s hand, slightly output at Felicity’s resistance, “you have to kiss it make it better too, Momma.”

Crisis definitely  _ not _ averted.

Oliver can see the way Felicity’s eyes widen in surprise, her eyes moving from him to Mia in rapid procession. He can see the beginnings of a panic attack about to set in. He’s just about to give her an out when Mia pokes Felicity in the chest.

“ _ Momma. _ ”

“Felicity…” he starts off on seeing the uncertainty in her eyes, but his Felicity is stubborn as ever as she rises to her knees.

“And I do it exactly how you did it?” Felicity asks their daughter, her voice wavering slightly. It’s clear she is not as sure of herself as she appears to be.

“Duh,” comes the sarcastic reply and Oliver would have laughed in any other situation, but his eyes are wide at Felicity who is hovering over him slightly uncertain.

Felicity licks her lips and then tentatively leans over him pressing a chaste kiss to his chest, he can just barely feel the warmth of her body through the fabric of his undershirt. She then tips her head upwards and presses a soft kiss on his forehead, lingering a little longer than normal, before she pulls away, her eyes never once meeting his.

If anything this whole thing has his heart beating faster than any hand holding ever could.

“Momma, you did it wrong!” Mia huffs out in annoyance, little hands on her hips and she’s now standing on the bed looking down at Felicity with utter frustration.

“I did exactly what you did!” Felicity fires back, equally annoyed. He sees the moment she regrets her tone when she winces, but Mia takes her annoyance with stride though and only rolls her eyes her shoulders shaking.

“You have to  _ kiss _ him and make it better. Like in the stories!” Mia insists.

Oliver has no clue what stories they have been telling her but he knows exactly what she’s implying and now it’s his turn to look at Felicity with uncertainty. He remains rigid in his spot, waiting for Felicity to take lead once again.

“Okay, but after this you have to go to sleep. No more stalling,” Felicity declares, and almost immediately Mia’s little shoulders drop and Oliver finally gets what this entire spectacle was about in the first place. Mia just did not want to go to sleep.

He would have never figured that out, but Felicity did. Not that he’s surprised. She adapted to this parent thing  far more easily than he ever could.

He’s pulled out of his thoughts at the sight of Felicity hovering nervously over him, “Felicity…”

“Don’t.” She whispers just before she presses her lips to his.

The moment their lips meet it’s like coming home, he expects to pull back right away, but she surprises him when she sighs against lips and deepens the kiss. Her tongue just barely grazes his lower lip before she pulls back abruptly.

He can still taste the strawberry milkshake she had earlier on his lips, before Felicity disappears under the covers, tugging Mia down with her into the bed. The toddler giggles loudly, but Oliver is too focus on remembering the feel of Felicity’s lips against his for the first time in nine months.

He tries to catch her eyes  but Felicity buries her face in Mia’s curls  effectively avoiding him as she coaxes the toddler to sleep, informing her and him by extension that there will be no more talking as it was time for bed.

Little arms curl around his, tugging it snug against her chest, as Mia snuggles between the two of them unaware of the bombs she just set off between her parents. 

Oliver makes a promise to himself in that moment that they will discuss this kiss before the night is over or at least by the time Mia is safely back in her own time.

  
This is  _ not _ something they can just ignore. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, its been 1000 years. I apologise. I am hoping to have the final chapter up by the end of next week for the latest.
> 
> Thank you all for the kind reviews.

If Felicity thought waking up in bed next to Oliver this morning would have been awkward, Mia left no room for that, when she jumped on Oliver’s chest demanding breakfast. Felicity is surprised, but totally grateful that Oliver did not react how he would typically react at being woken up suddenly. Instead after he recovered he flipped Mia upside down, the sudden movement stopped the shrieking for food momentarily, until Mia started to demand that Oliver flip her over again.

After a few minutes of a terrifying game of flip toddler - terrifying for Felicity that is - Oliver finally rights Mia and asks her what she wants for breakfast as they make their way down the stairs, Felicity trailing behind them watching the exchange fondly.

“Eggs! Bacon! Choc’ Chip Waffles and Nanas!” Mia cheers excitedly from her perch on Oliver’s shoulders.

“That’s not breakfast, that’s a buffet,” Felicity remarks softly next to Oliver as they make their way to the kitchen.

“I’m a growing girl, Mommy.” Mia says with exasperation.

“My apologies,” Felicity replies exchanging amused looks with Oliver.

She opens her arms when Oliver shifts Mia towards her, but she frowns at the toddler’s put out expression. 

“Daddy, I’m ‘pose to be your sushi chef!” Mia insists clinging to Oliver’s T-shirt instead of going to Felicity.

“Su Chef?” Oliver clarifies slightly confused.

“That’s what I said, silly,” Mia replies cheekily and even squeezing Oliver’s nose but she’s the one that bursts into laughter.

Felicity smiles at her antics her heart clenching at the image they make. Oliver places Mia to sit on the counter top but as soon as Oliver turns his back to get the ingredients, Mia stands on the count and with a few quick steps and a jump she ends up on the opposite counter next to the stove peering down at her father with a giggle.

“Mia!” Felicity exclaims in horror, belatedly at that, far too surprised by the toddler’s quick actions to react.

“No jumping,” Oliver says sternly, he scoops her up with much protest and deposits her right back on the center countertop. “I’ll bring the food to you.”

“Fine,” Mia grumbles little arms folded, her eyes shooting daggers into her father’s back once he turns around.

Felicity bites her lip to hide her smile, she should not encourage it but she can’t help but giggle at the pout that forms on Mia’s lips.

A few seconds later though all is forgotten as Mia eagerly learns how to crack the eggs into the bowl and enthusiastically begins to whisk them. 

Felicity continues to watch them silently, by the way Mia anticipates Oliver’s moves and goes for the correct ingredients it’s clear this is something the toddler does with Oliver frequently. It’s the most adorable thing she’s seen to date.

Ever so often Oliver would look across at her, his expression full of awe and she knows he can’t quite believe that he’s making breakfast with their daughter, anymore than she can wrap her mind around the fact that she’s watching them.

“Mia,” Oliver reprimands softly for the third time when he catches her tiny hand in the bowl of chocolate chips.

“I didn’t take none!” Mia blatantly lies, chocolate smeared over her little mouth and cheek.

“Really?” Oliver asks skeptically, leaning forward and wiping a stray bit of chocolate, he holds up his hand to Mia, “so what’s this?”

Mia surprise him though when she leans forward and licks his finger clean then looks back at his now clean finger in mock surprise, “it’s your finger, Daddy.”

Felicity snorts at the reply, Oliver is too surprised to react and Mia only giggles at his reaction. She hops down onto one of the stools, then jumps onto the nearby counter walking on the edge, before she jumps onto another counter. She sits calmly on the counter and looks across at Oliver who is now looking less than impressed at her ninja skills, “your waffles are ready, Daddy.”

“Mia!” Oliver calls out in exasperation but before he can take the short steps to the other side of the kitchen Mia has already made her way back to the center island.

“Stop monkeying around,” Felicity says firmly, as the toddler jumps in front of her, “or daddy won’t put chocolate chips in your waffles.”

Mia though completely ignores Felicity and instead opens the palm of her hand, there are a handful of semi melted chocolate chips nestled in the center.

“I stole some chocolate chips for you, Momma,” Mia whispers, except the toddler is totally unaware of her tone level and the short shake of his shoulders tells Felicity that Oliver is fully aware of their conversation.

“Thank you Mia,” Felicity replies with a smile, she opens her mouth and Mia giggles softly as she shoves them not so gracefully into Felicity’s mouth.

“What are the two of you doing?” Oliver asks suddenly as he spins around to face them spatula in his hand. 

“Nothing!” Felicity replies her mouth full of chocolate, just as Mia licks her hand clean of  the remains chocolate.

“Nuttin!” Mia parrots, chocolate is now smeared all on her nose and lips.

To Felicity’s surprise though Oliver does not walk up to Mia but walks up to her, his eyes twinkling with mirth, “you have something right,  _ there _ …”

To Felicity’s surprise though, Oliver doesn’t raise his finger to her face like he did with Mia instead he leans towards her and gently licks the corner of her mouth clean of chocolate.

“ _ Oliver _ ,” Felicity gasps out in surprise not expecting him to be so bold.

Oliver though seems to catch himself and immediately retreats turning back to his sizzling pan. Felicity already missing the warmth of his touch.

They are playing with fire.

Mia’s presence has them falling back into familiar patterns far too easily for comfort. Felicity knows she can’t solve all their problems but yet with every minute they spend with their daughter, Felicity finds herself  lingering far too long on Oliver or seeking out his touch.

They are playing a very dangerous game.

 

* * *

 

Felicity always knew that Oliver would make a great father. She knew it all those months ago when her mother told her with so much conviction, and she agreed wholeheartedly. However,  it’s an entirely different thing seeing it in person, seeing Oliver be a father in person, and it’s doing things to her. 

Much like the previous night’s chaste kiss, brought up feelings she had thought she buried deep in her heart. Watching Oliver play pretend tea party, something she  _ never  _  thought she would see, has her seconding guessing her decision that they are better off apart.

She’s sitting at the dinner table, surrounded by all her various tech, the time travel device, now in two parts in front of her. She thinks she would have  gotten much further along if she wasn’t so distracted by the pair a few feet in front of her. It’s bad enough that she started much later than planned, as she spent her morning watching Oliver make breakfast with Mia.

Now, every time Mia calls out to Oliver she finds herself, looking away from her desk, just in time to see Mia either jumping on Oliver, or laughing in delight about their make believe tea party.

A few times Oliver catches her looking at them, and she finds herself blushing almost as fiercely as she use to five years ago when he would appear unannounced in her office.

They exchange brief smiles before Oliver’s focus is turned back to the toddler, who seems completely unaware.

“Why don’t you have any  _ toys _ ?” Mia bemoans dropping back dramatically onto the couch,“or my tablet? mommy do you have my tablet? I want to play games.”

She pops up from the couch, hanging over the back as she looks at Felicity expectantly, “do you have my tablet?”

Felicity looks across at Oliver worriedly, they don’t have  _ any _ thing for the toddler to use, least of all a tablet,  _ her _ tablet.

“Mia, remember what I told you,” Oliver says patiently, scooping the toddler from the chair, “We’re going to head home soon, but first Mommy has some work to do.”

Mia sighs dramatically and she throws herself back in his arms, her hand going to her head. “Fine! Can I watch tv then?”

“Sure what do you want to watch?” Oliver asks, only wincing after he sees Felicity shaking her head. She only hopes whatever the toddler requests actually  _ exists. _

_ “ _ Harry Potter!” Mia cheers excitedly,

“Thank God.” Felicity sighs in relief and already uses her tablet to turn on the tv and a few seconds the familiar theme starts playing throughout the speakers.

“You know the faster you fix that thing, the faster you can watch the movie with her,” a familiar voice calls out teasingly, Felicity pulling her gaze away from tv screen, not even realising that she got so into the movie  Harry is already on his way to the zoo with his cousin.

She smiles at him sheepishly having been caught and Oliver places a glass of water in front of her. He looks at her seriously, “are you having trouble with it?”

“Oh no, just…” she gestures to Mia who is no standing on the couch watching the show with rapid interesting her little voice shouting out the words before the characters can say it. 

“Thea use to do that, talk out the movie right before the scene took place,” Oliver says with an affectionate laugh and a shake of his head. 

When Mia starts repeating one of the spells giggling loudly as Hermione tells Ron that his spell  was not particularly  _ good _ , Felicity finds herself laughing along as well, despite the fact that she’s seen the movies over a dozen times. Oliver’s soft words though pulls her from the movie, “just like I imagined it.”

“What?” She asks startled, turning to look at him. “You thought about that? About her?”

To her surprise Oliver doesn’t shy away from her question but he only shrugs his shoulders in response, “I pictured it... _ her _ ...in my dreams she had glasses, but it was still... _ she _ was always there...with you.”

“Oh,” Felicity replies, slightly breathless, it would have been naive of her to think that Oliver did not think about kids with her, William aside. But, hearing him talk like this,  _ seeing _ Mia here, living proof that a life with Oliver is  _ not _ just the small dreams she keeps to herself, it’s all a bit overwhelming.

“She’s as talkative as I imagined,” Oliver continues lightly, a smile tugging on his lips, “ _ Much _ more sassier than I imagined, I suspect that’s on both you  _ and  _ Thea. Can’t blame  _ just _ the Smoak genes.”

He’s teasing her now, trying to ease the tension, something he learned from  _ her _ . Oliver takes a step towards her, his eyes moving from the device that is in her hands to her face, “Why don’t you take a break, watch the movie with us and then get back to it? You and Mia can compete to see who remembers the most lines from the movies. She might just have you beat, fair warning.”

Felicity bites her lip, his offer is tempting, to just forget the time travel device, and instead spend the rest of the morning watching movies with their  _ daughter _ . For a few short hours she can forget the fact that they have a psycho on the loose hell-bent on ruining Oliver’s life and a daughter that does not belong to this time.

But the truth of the matter is that Mia does  _ not _ belong in this time, and as much as she would love to pretend that all their problems don’t exist. As much as she would love to continue living in this tiny little bubble the three of them have created in the past 12 hours, she  _ can’t _ . 

Someone has to be the rational one here, and it’s clear by the way Oliver dotes on their daughter, he is  _ not _ going to be the rational one between the two of them. 

The longer Mia stays in this time, the greater the consequences, not only to the timeline, but the constant threat of Adrian Chase makes matters even more pressing. Not to mention the emotional ramifications her presence is bringing to both her and Oliver as well as their relationship. Something Felicity has been a master of avoiding for the past 9 months and she intends to keep it that way.

She slips her hand out of Oliver’s not even realizing when they started holding hands, she turns her focus back on the time travel device, not wanting to see the disappointment on Oliver’s face, “I should try and fix this.”

Oliver does not protest, but instead grabs the apple juice box on the counter and makes his way back to Mia, “What did I miss, munchkin?”

“I’m not a munchkin, Daddy,” Mia says but despite her words, she giggles loudly in response. They have had this same exchange a dozen times for the morning, and Felicity is unsure who is enjoying it more the toddler or Oliver. “You’ve seen Harry a million billion times, Daddy. You  _ know _ what you missed. Were you and Mommy making kissy face again?”

Oliver coughs at the unsuspected question, and Felicity is glad that she has her face buried in the  time travel device, despite that, she still listens closely to their exchange.

“No, silly. We were discussing what we should have for lunch,” Olive recovers easily, but Felicity can hear the slight strain in his voice.

“Creamy pasta and chicken!” Mia declares eagerly, “ and garlic bread.”

Felicity bites back a snort at the garlic bread remark,  _ that _ is all Oliver. Last night was mac and cheese with  _ lobster _ of all things and now its chicken alfredo  _ and _ garlic bread. When they prepared breakfast this morning, Felicity had a very strong feeling that in a few years Mia will be better in the kitchen than she is. Not like  _ that _ is a big feat, but still.

Not a few years from now, but a few years from  _ Mia _ ’s time. Felicity shakes her head, and tries her best to tune out the two. She can’t be doing that, she can’t be picturing more family dinners like this mornings breakfast, not when Mia does not belong in this time.

Felicity picks up one of her screwdrivers and goes back to the small piece of tech in her hands, once again trying her hardest to tune out Oliver and Mia’s conversations.

 

* * *

 

“Booyah!” Felicity shouts in triumphant, pumping her fist in the air, “take that Doc Brown. DeLorean what? Felicity Smoak just built a time machine. Granted I am using future technology but it’s all semantics.  _ Badass _ .” 

“Money in the money jar!” A small voice calls out scandalized. 

Felicity looks up startled, as with most of her work, she momentarily forgot her surroundings and she is surprised to see Oliver, with Mia in his arms matching blue eyes staring back at her. Oliver seems slightly crestfallen at her accomplishments, which is understandable, Mia however is pointing a tiny finger at her accusingly, not at all impressed that Felicity fixed the time machine.

“Money in the money jar!” Mia chimes in again, “Momma said a bad word.”

Oliver smirks, clearly focusing on Mia’s words, “Money jar, does Mommy use that alot?”

Mia giggles loudly at the question, even more so at the way Felicity narrows her eyes at Oliver, “Uh huh, but it’s mostly for William. He said a bad word last weeks and he gaves me a whole five dollars! Oh! I wasn’t supposed to tells you that.”

_ William _ .

With that one word the entire atmosphere changes, Felicity looks across at Oliver, who is staring down at Mia in shock, he licks his lips just before he speaks, his voice horse, “William?”

“Yea, are we going home to see him?” Mia asks curiously, unaware of yet another bomb she’s dropped on them, “I want to shows him my time thingy. I went  _ poof _ like cinderella, but I didnts get a pretty dress, I just went somewhere else.  _ Poof!” _

Her words bring them back to reality, and Felicity realizes the toddler is far more aware of what is going on than they give her credit for. She can see the questions filtering across Oliver’s face, the way his fingers slightly tighten around Mia, she knows he’s dying to ask her more. Hell, she just got a dozen  _ more _ questions she  _ wish _ she could ask her.

But they both agreed to not ask _ any _ questions, not wanting to overwhelm Mia, or worse scare her at their lack of knowledge of their own lives.

“Mia, how…”

“How old are you?” Felicity cuts off Oliver before he can finish his question, when she sends him a look he looks properly chastised.

“This many!” Mia throws up her whole hand enthusiastically, but she then frowns and holds down two fingers with her other hand, “Wait no  _ this _ , many.”

Felicity realizes belatedly, that Mia’s age does not tell them anything about the  _ year _ that she came from, other than the fact that she’s clearly not from three years in _ their _ future.

“Do you know what year it is?” Oliver throws out, he shrugs his shoulders sheepishly at Felicity’s exasperated expression.

“Winter?” Mia replies looking at him clearly confused by the question.

“How old is William?” Felicity suddenly asks, but regrets it immediately at Mia’s confused expression. Just like they thought all their questions are not only overwhelming her, but also confusing her.

“Three whole hands!” Mia says suddenly, she grabs Oliver’s hand and holds it up with her own hands, “Dis many! But for his birthday he’ll be three hands and one finger! We boughts cake and ice creams, but it’s a secrets, Willy doesnt know. Shh”

She holds up her pinky to Oliver and breaks out into giggles. Oliver seems to make the same connection Felicity does and he leans forward and presses a firm kiss to Mia’s forehead, “Mia, you’re a genius.”

“Like Momma!” Mia cheers, not even questioning Oliver’s declaration, just accepting it.

“ _ Exactly _ , like your Mom,” Oliver agrees affectionately. 

“2021,” Felicity concludes as she begins to press the small buttons on the device. 

She tries her best to ignore that Mia is part of their future far sooner than she expected, by the way Oliver is looking at her she knows that he has come to the same conclusion as well.  She pushes that specific detail aside and looks at Oliver seriously, “I should test it out before I take her back.”

“What? No, you can’t go alone,” Oliver protests.

“We can’t very well send her on her own,” Felicity snaps back, wincing at the way Mia’s small eyes moves back and forth between the two of them.

“Obviously, I was planning on taking her myself,” Oliver says matter of factly, which only pisses Felicity off even more.

She’s just about to tell where exactly he can shove that plan, but she pauses on seeing familiar blue eyes staring back at her. She smiles at Mia, “Mia why don’t you go start the next Harry Potter movie while Daddy and I talk.”

Mia narrows her eyes suspiciously at both adults, “Are you fighting?”

“No!” They both lie simultaneously, but toddler is less than impressed by their protests.

“Willy says that sometimes you fights, but then you always kiss and makes up cause you loves each other,” Mia points out, her unasked question lying heavy between them. 

“Mia, your mom and I love each other very much, I promise you that,” Oliver says with conviction, speaking on her behalf, but she can’t even be upset, because after everything that they have been through the one thing she has  _ never _ shied away from was telling Oliver how much she loves him and he knows that.

Mia’s little forehead wrinkles in thought, and she then nods seemingly accepting his response, “Okay.”

She wiggles out of his arms and once she’s stand on her own two feet, she bends her index finger gesturing for Oliver to bend down to meet her face, “ Just  ‘member, Daddy. Mommy is  _ always _ right.”

With those final words she skips off to the living room, leaving her flabbergasted father in her wake. Felicity can’t help but giggle at the exchange, “She’s not  _ wrong _ .”

Oliver shakes his clearly trying to recover from being schooled by their three year old, but when he finally looks back at Felicity, all hint of humor is gone, “ I don’t like the idea of both of you travelling through time, especially via a device you’re not 100% percent sure about.”

“And you think that  _ you _ will be able to fix it if something were to go wrong if you were the one to take her?” Felicity counters rationally, she sighs in defeat, all the fight in her gone, “ I don’t like this anymore than you do Oliver, but we both agree Mia cannot go alone.”

“Agreed, but I don’t want the two of you travelling through time on your own,” Oliver replies stubbornly

They are both at an impasse now, logically  they both know she would be the best option to take Mia back, but for some reason Oliver refuses to acknowledge that, he refuses to  _ trust _ her and Felicity is just  _ tired _ of it. “Why won’t you trust me?”

“What? Where did that come from? Of course I trust you, Felicity!” Oliver replies hotly, clearly offended at her words.

“No you don’t!” Felicity fires back, “You say you do, but you don’t, Oliver. Not completely.”

“Felicity, every time I am out in the field, and you’re in my ear,  _ that _ is me trusting you.”

“You trust me when it comes to being your eyes and ears. When it comes to being on the team, but the important stuff...when it comes to everything else you don’t trust me.”

“Felicity.”

“Just for once can you trust that I know what I’m doing? Trust that I would never put our daughter in harm’s way,” Felicity sighs in defeat, her fingers clenching around the time travel device.

“ _ Felicity _ , of course I trust you. Of course, I trust you with our daughter...I don’t get any of this time travel thing, not like you do. But the idea of both of you  _ leaving _ , going off into the unknown where  _ anything _ can go wrong, and I can’t do  _ anything _ to help you. The idea that you might not come back  _ terrifies  _ me. Please don’t ask me to sit back on this. I  _ can’t _ .”

When he puts it like that, how is she supposed to say no?

“I don’t even know how many passengers this thing can take,” Felicity warns, “ I’m about 95% certain I fixed it, but I’m not sure. I would like to test it out first, but I know we don’t have that kind of time...which is ironic given the fact that it’s a time machine… We have no clue if all three of us will be able to go.”

“Hey, hey. You got this,” Oliver soothes taking a step towards, laying his hand over hers, when their eyes finally meets he repeats his words with full confidence, “You got this.”

“Time space continuums aren’t exactly in my forte,” Felicity points out nervously. Oliver’s callous fingertips gently rubbing against her knuckles, doing nothing to calm her nerves.

“I believe in you.” Oliver replies with an air of confidence she wish she currently had, “Do you remember what Mia said?”

“She’s my kid Oliver, she said a  _ lot _ of things.”

“Mommy is always right,” Oliver repeats cheekily, earning a smile in return. He then looks over his shoulder towards the living room, “Mia! Time to go home.”

Felicity looks at him in alarm, not expecting them to jump right into it. Oliver sees the concern written all over her face and squeezes her hand, “You got this.”

“Let’s go home!” Mia cheers excitedly as she jumps climbs up Oliver like a monkey. She looks  back and forth between the two, her little eyes squinting up at them, “Did you kiss and make up?”

Felicity coughs at the unexpected question, still not use to their toddler’s blunt way of discussing things. She glances at Oliver to see he is now biting back a smile, they have neither kisses  _ or _ made up, but she can’t exactly tell Mia that, “We did, now I need you to hold on to both of us tightly, okay?”

Mia nods, immediately picking up on the seriousness of the situation, she throws her little arm around Felicity’s neck while her other hand grips Oliver’s t-shirt tightly. Oliver follows suit, and Felicity feels his arm tighten around her waist, pulling her just a little bit closer to them.

She catches his eye one last time, before she presses the final button on the small device. A loud buzzing rings throughout the room, she can feel Mia’s fingers digging into her neck, and Oliver’s grip holding her firmly, just as the loft disappears before her very eyes.

  
_ Poof _ .


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for coming along for this crazy ride, I was never intending for this fic to end up this long.
> 
> This definitely won't be the end of these series, but I'm hoping to work on some AU fics next or try my hand a the Olicity Summer Sizzle Fics everyone has been taking part in.
> 
> Thanks to Pall for all your help with this fic, and mostly yelling at me to write even when I did not want to LOL

“Oh god.” Felicity moans as they appear in an unfamiliar living room. Her stomach somersaults in a way that she can now only associate with time travel.

“Are you okay?” Oliver asks her with concern as Mia slips from his arms and he ushers Felicity to the nearest chair.

“Mommy! You gonna barfs all over the floor!” Mia yells, they both turn to her in alarm but are surprised to see that she isn’t talking to Felicity but yelling to someone else.

Both Felicity and  Oliver turn to the person in question and both gasp at seeing familiar bespectacled blue eyed blonde looking at them in surprise. Future Felicity is dressed in long pajama pants with cats printed on it, and a tank top, other than the long blonde hair, that’s almost to her elbows, she looks no different, at least that is Felicity’s humble opinion on her future self. She glances at Oliver only to see he is completely enamored with this other Felicity. It’s a bit disconcerting, to see him looking at someone who isn’t her...well technically she  _ is,  _ but it’s not  _ directed _ at her and Felicity  _ hates _ that she is essentially jealous of herself. 

“Mia! Oh thank god!” The other Felicity says running up to Mia and scooping her in her arms much to the toddler’s protests. “Oliver! Mia’s back! Oliver! Oh, Archer, let Oliver know that Mia is back and safe.”

“ _ Yes, Mrs. Smoak-Queen _ .” Comes the computer generated voice starling both Felicity and Oliver

“Mommy, you’re squishing me!” Mia protests pushing against her mother.

“Baby girl, you know you’re not supposed to play with any of the things in my office,” Felicity replies still peppering kisses along Mia’s face and running her hands through her blonde hair, clearly checking to see if she’s hurt.

“Mommy, stop doing that and I’m not a baby,” Mia protests little pout evident, “I didn’t do nuttin. The time thingy just went  _ poof _ . I want to show Willy it.”

The older Felicity sighs halting her smothering, she peers at Mia who looks back at her with a matching expression. She flicks Mia’s nose lightly then glances back at the still flabbergasted pair, “We will talk about you going into my office without permission later, but why don’t you get some of the ginger snaps on the counter for me?”

Mia glances over at the past counterparts, “does she have a baby in her tummy?”

The question throws Felicity off so much she starts coughing loudly in return, Oliver’s own ears a pink. The future Felicity only laughs in response, “No baby, she just has an upset tummy, like when Will and Daddy got tummy aches on the cruise a few months ago.”

“ _ Oh _ ,” Mia says thoughtfully, she turns around to get the ginger snaps, but stops in her tracks and spins to face her mother again, “I’m  _ not _ a baby!”

Older Felicity rolls her eyes as the toddler spins on her heels and runs off she turns around to face her counterparts hands on her hips, “the two of you couldn’t have just sent her back on her own?”

“Hey!” Oliver starts but his voice falters when his eyes move to the future Felicity then back her, slightly confused. 

He’s never raised his voice at her, but then again he’s never allowed anyone to speak to her like that either, except the person is  _ her.  _ It’s all very confusing.

Time travel is confusing.

Older Felicity only laughs, she gathers her long blonde hair and ties it up in one, “we should have anticipated that we...well  _ you _ wouldn’t let her go on her own.”

Felicity wants to comment but her stomach turns at any slight movement, the fact that she has not thrown up yet, is a win on its own.

“Momma! I gotta the candies!” A familiar voice calls out, she automatically turns her attention to the toddler but frowns when she sees Mia running up to the other Felicity expectantly, a little baggie in her hand.

Felicity is surprised by how much her chest hurts at that small gesture, rationally she knows that she’s  _ not  _ Mia’s mother...well not yet at least.

“Hey, you okay?” Oliver asks with concern his voice startling from her thoughts.

“Here, have one of these. Can’t say I tried it with time travel, but it was the only thing that helped with the morning sickness,” Older Felicity replies handing the bag to Felicity, “A Lyla Diggle secret weapon.”

Felicity pops two of the ginger snaps in her mouth and she’s surprised by how quickly the nausea subsides. The older Felicity catches on immediately and grins knowingly, “ _ Magic.” _

“Momma, you feel better?” Mia little voice calls out, and to Felicity’s surprise Mia is standing in front of her, her little stomach pressing against Felicity’s knees. When Felicity does not response, Mia grabs Felicity by the face, and pulls her to look her in the eyes, “ _ Momma _ , you feel better?”

“Much better,” Felicity confirms, her voice muffled by Mia’s little hands that are currently still squishing her face.

“Good,” Mia says with a firm nod, she releases her hold on Felicity’s face and runs off to the corner of the room which are littered with toys.

“Bossy, I know.” Older Felicity says with a knowing laugh. She leans back against the sofa and looks at the counterparts with a calculated look, but more specifically Oliver, “Now, what year are the two of you from?”

Before anyone can reply though a very familiar voice calls out somewhat frantic, “Felicity? Mia?”

“Daddy!” Mia cheers excitedly rising to her feet and jumping on the coffee table and over the back of the sofa into an unsuspecting Oliver’s arms.

Future Oliver, is dressed similar to Felicity in his typical grey sweatpants and a t-shirt, but what catches Felicity’s attention is the small remote hooked onto the waste of his sweatpants. It looks like a baby monitor, but she is hesitant to dwell on that.

“You little miss are in some serious trouble,” Future Oliver says to daughter sternly after he presses a kiss to her forehead.

“I went  _ poof _ , Daddy! Just like Cinderella,” Mia says excitedly, and Felicity can see the moment future Oliver caves at her words. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too Mia.” Oliver says softly kissing her on the forehead one last time before he places her back on the ground and Mia runs out of the room.

“Such a pushover,” Future Felicity teases, she tilts her head up towards Oliver, who leans down to press a kiss to her forehead, before he slides onto the couch next to her. The gesture is so intimate, Felicity feels as though she should look away, but when she does she sees that  _ her _ Oliver is staring at them with a look of longing, his fingers now clenched in a fist.

She’s about to reach out to him, try and get him to relax, when her counterpart’s words catches her attention.

“Did he go down okay?” She asks Oliver softly, her fingers running through Oliver’s hair as they both get comfortable on the couch until she’s leaning against him and taking his hand in her lap.

“Eventually, hopefully he’ll be out longer than 30 minutes like last time,” Oliver replies just as softly.

Felicity is just about to ask who the ‘he’ is when they both look across at her and Oliver as though they almost forgot they were there.

“So do we know what year they are from?” Future Oliver asks calmly, far too calmly as far as Felicity is concern.

“Please tell me that time travel is not an everyday occurrence in our lives. Why does our toddler seem so  _ chill _ at seeing two versions of us? Like it’s a normal thing?” Felicity asks out in rush, after her first trip in the waverider a few months ago she decided that time travel needs to remain on her tv and _ not _ a regular occurrence.

“Ironically enough, our children seem to have a penchant for time travel,” her counterpart replies somewhat sheepishly.

“ _ Children?”  _ Felicity stutters her eyes going to the baby monitor at Oliver’s hip.

“Damn how far back did Mia go?” Future Oliver’s asks speaking more to his wife than the flabbergasted pair in front of them not at all concerned by  _ their _ concern. Her Oliver is characteristically quiet perched on the armchair, his eyes still trained on the other Felicity.

“Well, no rings. My hair is a bit shorter than when we first met,” Felicity replies thoughtfully, her eyes moving back and forth between her younger self and Oliver next to her. “You do know who William is right?”

“Yes, of course,” Oliver pipes up from next to her looking down at Felicity sheepishly.

“I know  _ of _ him,” Felicity remarks with far more bite than she intends and she wishes she could take it back immediately at her Oliver’s fallen expression.

“Oh  _ that _ year then,” Future Felicity says with a wince, she then gestures to the house and smiles warmly, “surprise! You two finally got your heads out of your asses and sorted out your shit enough to have the life you deserve.”

“ _ Felicity!” Future  _ Oliver all but growls in exasperation.

“Mommy!” Mia gasps loudly and Felicity can see the moment the older version of herself realizes her mistake, Mia walks up to her hand on her hips and then stretches out her other hand, palm facing upward to her mother, “just gimme all your credit cards cause you just broke the  money jar.”

Her words have all four adults bursting out into laughter, but Mia means serious business though and her gaze never wavers from her mother, “ _ Mommy,” _

“Okay no credit cards, but how about we get ice cream for dinner?” Felicity bargains.

Mia’s little eyes widen in surprise and nods her head vigorously, “deal! We gots to shake on it.”

“Oh yes,” Felicity nods seriously as she holds out her hand and the toddler shakes it vigorously. “Nice doing business with you, Ms. Smoak Queen.”

Mia only giggles loudly in response and then skips off towards the stares, “I gots to tell Willy!”

“ _ Felicity _ ,” Future Oliver groans out in exasperation, “you gotta stop teaching her how to bargain.”

“It was hardly bargaining, Oliver. I was only covering my ass for well saying ass,” Felicity says with a sheepish grin.

It’s weird seeing herself and Oliver interact like this, not only on the obvious level, but also just seeing how in sync they both are. 

“At the rate you’re going the money jar will be paying for William’s college tuition,” older  Oliver says with a laugh as he rubs Felicity's shoulders.

“It’s cute that you think college is the only thing we will be paying for,” her counterpart replies back teasingly, “and who knows what Mia  _ and _ Lucas plan to do.”

_ Lucas. _

Felicity’s eyes travel automatically to the baby monitor that’s now resting on the side table. She can feel Oliver tense next to her and she knows he’s connecting the dots as well. 

_ Three _ kids. 

They have three kids.

His counterpart seems to have read their expression and rolls his eyes at his wife, “ _ honey _ , we agreed to not divulge any new information when it came to time travel.”

“I changed my mind on that,” the other Felicity declares easily, “When we do know something we try our best to prevent it and it still happens anyway. It’s better to be prepared with the knowledged than surprised by the outcome, much like Lucas’ little trip a few weeks ago. I have accepted this is our lives and I prefer to be well prepared for anything that is coming our way and that includes the times we get to tell ourselves what’s happening.”

“Isn’t Lucas a  _ baby _ ?” Felicity can’t help but ask, her counterpart nonchalant attitude about the utter  _ madness _ that is  _ still _ their lives, not sitting well with her.

“Yes, but no worries, we figured out where Mia send him and got him back before his next meal,” her counterpart tries to reassure her, but Felicity is  _ anything _ but reassured.

“Well  _ that _ makes it okay then,” Felicity replies sarcastically and its anything  _ but. _

She always thought that when they eventually had kids both she and Oliver would put the vigilante life and all the crazy that goes along with it behind them. Not that  she ever told Oliver this, but when you end up paralyzed for a few months you end up thinking a lot about your future and what you hoped for and what you might never be able to have.

Now she’s learning her children are like a modern day Marty McFly and not only that this version of herself is totally  _ fine  _ with.

It is too much, all too much.

“I need some air,” she says slightly breathless as she rises to her feet, ignoring Oliver’s calls as she makes her way through the unfamiliar house.

She finds herself in the kitchen a few minutes later, her fingers clenching the counter as she tries to control her breathing. She looks up and across the counter only to see the large silver fridge is completely covered in family pictures and some art work of Mia’s. 

She gravitates towards the fridge without even realizing it, until her smiling face is staring back at her. There are countless photos that take up every inch of the door, some she recognize from her and Oliver’s trip two summers previously.  Scuba diving in Aruba, the biggest stingray just inches from her surprised face. Hiking the Pacific Coast Trail, Oliver’s arms around her both of them smiling widely. She remembers those moments like it was just yesterday.

But, there are other photos, so many other photos, memories of another person, another life, that’s not hers. At least not  _ yet. _

A picture of her, Oliver and William, who looks much older than she remembers on what can only be her and Oliver’s wedding day. 

Another with Mia sitting on William’s shoulders, both wearing matching Mickey Mouse ears in front of Cinderella’s Castle. William even older than the previous picture.

Mia sitting on the floor in front of one of the largest Menorah’s Felicity has ever seen, a baby no older than 4 months sitting in her lap.

_ Lucas _ .

The next one is a picture of all three kids. 

William has Lucas in one arm, the baby’s arm stretching out to the camera or phone. Mia is sitting on William’s shoulders her body, practically bowed over her brother so her face is right next to his. All three kids are laughing at the camera just as the shot was taken.

Her kids.

“That one is one of my favourites,’ a familiar voice calls out startling her. She does not realize she is touching the photo until Oliver places his hand tentatively on her forearm.

She pulls back, slightly put out that it’s not  _ her _ Oliver that came to see her.

“We thought it would be easier to talk to me, than talk to yourself,” he offers her softly in explanation. He hands her a glass of water  ushering her to one of the bar stools. “Even if you claim you always talk to yourself.”

“I never really answered back myself,” she says with a small laugh.

Now that he is standing so close to her, she can see the obvious differences between her Oliver and the man standing in front of her. A few more wrinkles and a few more grey hairs, but the most obvious change, is that, this man standing in front of her does not seem to have the weight of the world resting on his shoulders. 

His blue eyes dance with a kind of joy she has only ever seen when they moving across the globe.

He’s  _ happy _ , and that’s all she ever wanted for Oliver was to be happy. 

“You’re  _ happy _ ,” She can’t help but blurt out, her chest bursting with joy.

Oliver’s eyes soften as he takes a step towards her and she’s overwhelmed by the familiar smell of pine trees.  It’s been so long since Oliver has been in her personal space. Oliver places his hands on her bare shoulder, familiar callous fingertips rubbing gently against her skin, but then he smiles. When he smiles she sees more laugh lines, deep deep dimples and it’s a smile unlike anything she’s seen before.

“Because of  _ you _ , Felicity.” He gestures around the kitchen, more specifically the fridge filled with images, filled of memories of their life  _ together _ , “none of this would be possible if you weren’t in my life. I know things are hard right and I don’t want apologize for him...well me. But don’t give up on him.”

“You... _ he _ already apologized for William,” She divulges, she can see the confusion written across his face, “we’re changing things already aren’t we?”

“I think we are only moving things along, we...well  _ you _ ...would have eventually talked things through,” Oliver reasons but she’s not too sure even he believes what he’s saying.

“You don’t like that we know so much about our future,” she deduces, she can see it in his expression already.

“I just don’t want us risking all of this,” Oliver confesses.

She places a hand on his, squeezing it gently before she speaks, “I think, if something is meant to happen it will happen regardless if we know or don’t know about it. You aren’t cheating any sort of cosmic system, you aren’t telling us about a death that’s we should stop. This  _ is _ your life Oliver Queen, it’s not going anywhere.”

“I was suppose to come in here and give  _ you _ the pep talk,” Oliver says with a sheepish grin.

Felicity raises her hand and cups his cheek, gently scratching his beard with her fingernails, “A for effort, but seriously.  _ Thank you _ ... for this amazing life.”

“Felicity…”

She rises to her toes, her face angled towards him but just as his breath tickles her lips she freezes, catching herself, “Nope. Nope. No we can’t do this. I’m not  _ your _ Felicity and you aren’t  _ my _ Oliver.  _ No _ .”

“Shit,” Oliver mutters taking a step back from her his ears red in embarrassment. “I have to tell my wife I almost cheated on her with herself.”

Why is her life so complicated?

 

* * *

 

“I should go talk to her,” Oliver protests weakly watching as his counterpart disappears around a corner into another room.

“No, she’s still not comfortable talking to you, but  _ my _ Oliver is much more equipped to deal with her. Nothing personal but he’s got about five more years of experience on you,” Older Felicity says with a laugh. She has since taken her hair out of its ponytail and the long blond locks are now resting on her shoulders.

“I like your hair like that,” Oliver offers, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment despite this he continues with the word vomit, this Felicity making him even more nervous than  _ his _ Felicity, “it reminds me of our first date.”

“Are you flirting with me?” She teases, her blue eyes dancing with amusement. When she’s noticed his panicked expression she has mercy on him and quickly continues, “I’m kidding. Thank you, but that night it took me three hours and one benzo to get that look.  _ This _ is from falling asleep with wet hair while trying to breastfeed a cranky baby  _ and  _ worrying about Mia. Thank  _ you _ for bringing her home safely.”

“Of course,” Oliver responds automatically. He has so many questions for her, so many things he’s not sure if he should or  _ can _ ask.  But before he can a loud cry filters through the baby monitor.

Felicity doesn’t pick up the baby monitor but instead looks across at Oliver with a mischievous expression, “wanna meet your son?”

Oliver’s mouth goes dry at her question, from the glint in her eyes reminds him of when she hacks into the FBI database when she’s not suppose to. He’s pretty sure his counterpart would not be inclined to this.

Oliver rises to his feet and quickly follows behind Felicity, her soft giggles music to his ears. As they make their way up the stairs he can’t help but pause and the various family portraits lining the walls.

Their family pictures, endless professional shots of his and Felicity’s family. It’s one thing to see Mia back in their time. But all these milestones in their lives just line the walls. Their wedding, both Mia and Lucas’ births, Christmas and Hannuka. 

_ Everything. _

He wants to stop and look at the pictures more closely but he quickly skips a few steps to follow Felicity. The knowing grin she sends him, makes him realize that he’s been caught.

Mia’s familiar voice suddenly startles him, the first bedroom door is slightly ajar and he can hear Mia talking excitedly to someone a deep voice answers back in response.

_ William. _

He starts to make his way across the room but a familiar hand slipping through his fingers stops him.

“C’mon.”

He follows her silently to the sound of crying that grows louder with each step they take. When they enter the nursery Felicity releases his hand and makes a beeline for the crib.

“Yes Mr. Queen. I hear you. I hear you,” Felicity cajoles a she steps up to the crib, “hi baby boy! You’re suppose to be sleeping.”

She leans into crib and picks up the red face baby and on seeing the red round cheeks and deep blue eyes Oliver’s breath catches in his throat.

“ _ Oh _ !”

Oliver does not have time to process the fact that he is looking at his  _ son _ because the baby is already reaching out to him. Lucas begins to whine when Oliver does not automatically move to hold him, “I’ve never held a baby before.”

“It’s okay, he can sit up on his own now, and he’s much calmer than Mia was at this age,” Felicity reassures him just before she deposits the baby into a surprised Oliver’s arms. She kisses Lucas’ cheeks, “Don’t scare, Daddy.”

Oliver stares down mutely at the baby who gives him a toothless smile, but the moment ends almost immediately and Lucas’ little face wrinkles in displeasure, and he spins back to Felicity little arms stretching out to her. “I think he knows I’m not him.”

“No, he’s just a Mama’s boy,” Felicity reassures him as she takes the baby back.

Oliver frowns slightly put out, unable to believe her. He is certain the baby is able to tell that he is  _ not _ his father. Lucas is still staring at Oliver a small smile on his tiny lips and when Oliver catches his eyes, the baby snuggles into Felicity’s chest more the baby’s eyes still on Oliver.

“He’s teasing you,” Felicity says with a laugh before she peppers small kisses on the baby’s cheek, “You’re a silly boy, right Lucas?”

The baby talk is something Oliver has only ever heard Felicity use when she sees a puppy. The way her eyes lights up as she talks to their son, expertly moving him from one hand to the next and speaking to him as though the baby knows what she’s saying, warms Oliver’s heart.

Lucas seems to have grown tired of watching Oliver and he spins his small body around forcing Felicity to move him so he is now peering up at her. When he grabs hold of her long hair she groans, gently prying it from his tiny chubby hand.

“No.” She says firmly gumming lightly at Lucas’s hand, but the baby only looks put out at that. She shakes her head and hands him over to a surprised Oliver.

“Hi,” Oliver greets the baby awkwardly, when he realizes he now has the baby’s full attention.

He looks like him, while Mia was almost 99% Felicity minus the dimples, Lucas is all  _ him _ . Round cheeks, blue eyes and dirty blond tufts of hair.

He still can’t believe he and Felicity made not one but  _ two _ children.

At the thought of  _ his _ Felicity his eyes stray to the bedroom door, ears listening out for any signs of her. It’s strange he essentially has Felicity standing in front of him, but in his heart of hearts he knows this Felicity just is not his Felicity, at least not yet.

“You know, one of the things I love about is the fact that you always respected my space,” the other Felicity suddenly speaks, gaining Oliver’s attention.

Oliver wants to protest at her statement, if anything he feels as though he hovers too much. No matter what time she may be from, he knows Felicity we’ll know to know when she still has more to say, so he stays quiet. His eyes now trained on the baby in his arms unable to look at her quite yet.

“And when we first broke up I need that space, needed the time to process but after a while I needed you to push the issue, push me to talk to you.” This time he looks up at with slight surprise. “It was stupid to think that we could move on without talking first. Or maybe back then deep down I knew that if we did talk I wouldn’t be able to move on. Which I guess is what happens in a few months anyway…”

She pauses her eyes widening in horror when she realizes what she says, “I was  _ not _ suppose to give you specifics.” 

“It’s okay, I kinda of deduced that for myself,” Oliver says with a smile bouncing Lucas in his arms to further his point.

Felicity grins at him sheepishly, “my entire point though and this is not just for  _ now _ but for the future as well. Always give me my space, but never too much space I’m always going to need you in my life Oliver Queen even when I want to push you away the most.”

“I am a better person having you in my life, Felicity,” he tells her earnestly.

Felicity smiles warmly in return, she rises on her tiptoes and presses a chaste kiss to Oliver’s lips.

“ _ Hey!” _ Two disgruntled voices call out startling the pair.

“Oh,” future Felicity squeaks she looks back and forth between both Oliver’s and her eyes widen even further, “ _ Oh no _ !”

 

* * *

 

“Okay, that’s it we need to leave  _ now _ !” Felicity demands as she stalks into the room, she grabs Oliver by the hand to pull him away but stops short when she finally sees the baby in his arms, “oh hello.”

Lucas recognizes her immediately and he stretches his chubby little arms towards her. She takes him from Oliver his blue eyes trained on her, “oh wow, hi.”

“See I told you  _ perfect _ distraction,” future Felicity says to her husband with a laugh. 

Lucas hears her voice and spins around to look at her he stretches out to her, but then stops and looks at the other Felicity, he moves his head back and forth between both women before he burst into tears in confusion.

“Oh baby, I got you,” Future Felicity soothes taking the baby from the other Felicity. She rubs his back soothingly as the baby rubs his face in her neck. She looks across at her husband and smiles softly, “I think it’s time for you two to head home. You’ve been here long enough.”

Felicity sighs, she knows she’s right but she just wants to spend a little bit more time with her kids, immerse herself in this amazing life she and Oliver created. 

She feels a hand slips through hers and she looks up to see her looking down at her thoughtfully. She knows he’s thinking the same thing, “we should go,”

“Yea,” she says with a sigh she rubs Lucas’s back gently wishing she had more time with him.

“Oliver, why don’t you get the device?” She asks her husband, she then turns to Felicity with a knowing smile, “do you want to hold him?”

Felicity looks at the baby slightly uncertain, Lucas has since stopped crying and his little eyes seems to be drooping with every sway of the other Felicity’s body, “We may have overwhelmed him, but he is also overdue for a nap.”

Her words don’t exactly explain or reassure Felicity that taking the toddler is the right thing to do, but she finds herself reaching out for the baby nonetheless. Once Lucas is situated comfortably in her arms, Felicity sighs deeply, that distinct baby smell overwhelming her.

“The smell is addicting, I know, minus the milk stain on the front.” the other Felicity says with a grin, she then looks across at Oliver, who has been watching the exchange silently, “Can you go in the bottom draw on the left and get his little onesie with baby ducks on it?

Oliver startles, slightly surprised that she is addressing him, but he quickly nods and walks off to the other side of the nursery, once he’s out of earshot the older Felicity looks at Felicity seriously, “Things are good,  _ really _ good.”

“I sense a but coming in there,” Felicity replies nervously, automatically tightening her hold on the sleeping baby.

“No buts, just…” She trails off her eyes moving to Oliver who is now looking at all the tiny outfits with fascination, “Just look out for him okay?”

Felicity frowns at her words, “you need to give me more than that, what happens to him?”

“I really should not be telling you this,” older Felicity sighs, but she shakes her head and looks Felicity in the eye, “Put some tracking nanonites on him, when you get back and just…”

“ _ Felicity _ !” Oliver’s voice rings through the room as the older one comes to a halt at the doorway, he has the time travel device in one hand and the baby monitor in the other. It’s obvious he’s heard their conversation.

The other Oliver is none the wiser as he raises to his feet the onsie in his hand, “is this it?”

“Yes, thank you.” older Felicity says gratefully, taking Lucas from her counterpart as she moves to the changing table, with the now sleeping baby. She expertly begins unchanging the baby while she looks across at the pair, “I never really know what to say when you have to say goodbye to younger versions of yourself. But, thank you for bringing our daughter home, and please don’t do anything stupid to change this future.”

“Oh, so no one is going to come and like…” Felicity makes a loud zapping noise while pointing to our forehead, “before we go back?”

“What? Why would you want to forget everything we just learned?”  _ her  _ Oliver asks her slightly put off, but before she can correct him, his counterpart speaks up.

“Because technically we  _ should _ to preserve the timeline, but past experience has told us that somethings are just meant to be, and you’re both better off knowing these things anyway.” 

“I knew you listened to me when I talk,” Older Felicity says with a grin, just as she places the sleeping baby back into the crib.

“I always listen,” Older Oliver grumbles good naturally, he walks up to her and presses a kiss to her forehead, “I’ll see you soon, and don’t think we aren’t gonna talk about that kiss earlier.”

“I almost kissed him too!” Felicity blurts out guilty, she ignores  _ her  _ Oliver’s grumbling protest and only looks at her future self who is now laughing with delight.

“I was going to tell you,” Older Oliver insists.

“I know, but we are annoyingly predictable aren't we?” She rises to her feet and kisses her husband softly on the lips and Felicity feels as though she’s intruding on a private moment, which is weird given the fact that it’s technically their life. “Have a safe drip, don’t go galavanting to any other times without me.”

“I think I’ve done enough galavanting in my life, to last  _ multiple _ lifetimes,” Oliver replies easily, it’s an inside joke, and the way both exchange meaningful looks, has Felicity wondering what exactly they needed to do to get this life they wanted desperately. 

He looks over at their younger counterparts, “Ready to go?

Not particularly, but Felicity knows she doesn’t exactly have a say in the matter, she feels a familiar fingers grasp her hand and she looks to her right to see her Oliver looking at her, “Together?”

“ _ Always _ .”   
  



End file.
